Number 666

Number 666 II Chapter 9

Chapter 9

We watched the screen as this person...this man pretending to be me was on the screen. He was being interviewed about a false imprisonment when he was found guilty for killing my mother. There was the video of me flying and this false Michael was sitting there taking the credit for it.

“He doesn't even look exactly like you,” Uri told me.

Uri looked over at me as he said it. His eyes looked at me and the screen.

I could see differences with me and this false Michael.

“He looks close enough like him,” Raphael responded, “This is getting scary man. Lord have mercy on our souls.”

We watched the screen as the man created wings right there on national news. Uri, Raphael, Cham and I looked at one another not knowing how to react. When Raphael said this was scary I knew what he meant. I had made a mistake flying out of that prison like that but this man was confirming on live television that he was something...else.

Jophiel started to change the channel, “It's being picked up by every major station. He wants them to believe that he is the second coming. The anti-christ.”

“Why?” I asked confused, “What's the point?”

“They've come to take over the Earth. Usher out the error of God and usher in the following of their God. Satan himself has sent his ambassador.”

Our eyes were glued on the television.

“What are you?” the newscaster asked the fake Michael.

The fake Michael looked into the camera and stated, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

A shiver went down my spine as he said it. I looked to my right and noticed Raphael was crying. Raphael was fucking crying and for some reason there was this stress over my body too. It felt like that horrible feeling when you knew something bad was about to happen but there was no way to stop it. This evil presence looking down through the screen stating that he was 'the first and the last' blew my fucking mind.

“Baby...” Uri stated, “Your nose is bleeding.”

I looked down at my nose at that moment. He was right. I watched as Jophiel walked over to me to hand me a hankerchief. I didn't take it though. I wouldn't take anything like him. Uri was right in telling me not to trust him.

“Shut that off...”

“Wait...I want to see what he says,” Raphael replied.

“SHUT THAT OFF NOW!” I commanded.

It was the first time I heard my voice command something like that. The others seemed to be shook up by it too. It was Uri who went over and turned off the television.

“Dear God...” Raphael stated.

Cham shook his head, “Say that again.”

Suddenly the little Asian girl who had run out of the room walked back into the room. Her face had this look on it that seemed to say it all. She was horrified. When I looked at her face I could tell something had really got her attention.

“They are here.”

“Ana, who?” Jophiel asked.

He didn't wait for this Ana girl to answer. I watched as Jo immediately walked towards the other side of the church. At first Uri and I just looked at one another but then he grabbed his hand. All of us were following Jophiel. The look on Ana's face seemed to shake everyone up almost immediately. We went past stained glass windows and looked outside into the courtyard.

As we got to the other side of the church it was clear that it was happening again. The enemy was outside. They were in record numbers. They looked like regular people. Some old people, some white people, some black people, some young people and any other description of people that I could think of. They stayed a little further down from the courtyard just looking at the church. They were just watching...with these cold dark eyes.

It seemed as though I could feel the eyes staring back at us.

They just watched us from the lot.

“They are attracted to our abilities,” Jo explained to me, “When you use your abilities the demons are aware. When Uri used his abilities on me they were attracted here.”

It made sense now. Thinking back in time every time the demons came it was always drawn by us using some sort of angelic ability. The look on Uri's face seemed to say it all as Jo was talking. He didn't trust Jo and truth was I didn't trust him not one bit either.

“We need to find a way out of here,” Uri stated.

“No shit. We never should have came in the first place,” Cham replied.

Raphael wasn't saying anything but the rest of us definitely seemed on the same accord as far as this thing went. Jo wasn't telling us the truth and now our enemies had us cornered in this church. The darkness was all over us. It seemed as though the world was getting blacker and blacker.

“This is the beginning of the end,” Jo explained to us, “This is how it all starts to end.”

He said those words with such a cool, collected exposure as though they didn't mean anything to him at all. He said those words as though he was saying it was going to rain tomorrow.

I could tell the others were uncomfortable by just how nonchalant Jo was. He seemed like one of those people who didn't show much emotion if any when he spoke and we clearly didn't get it.

“Why should we believe you?” Uri explained, “You told Michael that you two were lovers in the past life.”

“I only did that to avoid the two of you getting together and making Gabby jealous. It happened before. I wanted to keep the peace. You understand. It is important that we have Gabby with us. All angels play a part.”

Jo wasn't even apologizing for lying to me. He had no emotion when it came to that. He was talking as easy as if he was reading his words out of a goddam book or something like that. He looked over at us and we smiled at him.

“I felt like I loved you one time...” I stated.

Jo ignored me almost completely, “You guys should stay here the night. It's not safe to leave. Those demons will disperse soon enough and then you can leave. Ana will get you anything that you need. We don't have many comforts but she'll provide whatever she can.”

He shot us all a stare of his glassy eyes at that moment and walked away.

A part of me wanted to follow him but I didn't. The strange angel disappeared into the darkness at that moment leaving us there.

Hours passed.

Michael lay asleep in the aisle and Uri brushed his fingers through his hair. He knew there was something strange about the Jophiel person. Jophiel had left but he'd also left the girl Ana there. She stood in the distance at the back of the cathedral.

As Uri looked down on Michael he knew that angels existed. He had never known someone so pure. As hard as Michael wanted to believe he was, things were changing. Michael was changing.

“We have to protect him,” Raphael stated.

Uri looked over at Raphael. He hadn't noticed Raphael standing there one aisle up. Raphael perched on the headrest putting his butt on top and his legs swung between the aisles. Uri had dozed off himself and hadn't noticed Raphael sitting there.

“He means the world to me,” Uri told Raphael.

Raphael nodded, “I know. Listen...I care about him too. To the point that I had jealousy and I did some...fucked up plotting with Gabby.”

Uri didn't look up from Michael when he replied, “I know...”

“I apologize. I don't know how I can make it up to you...these...things that I've done,” Raphael explained.

Uri could only imagine something was weighing heavily on Raphael's mind but right now the only thing that was on his mind was Michael. He suspected that Gabby wasn't pregnant. He had no way to confirm. When she ran away to 'have an abortion', Uri definitely connected the dots. He wasn't an idiot. He wasn't sure where Raphael fit into Gabby's schemes but either way he was glad that Gabby was gone.

“You can protect him,” Uri told Raphael, “Like you said...”

Raphael nodded. He stood up and crossed his arms as though showing Uri how serious he was when he was agreeing to it. Uri didn't have need too much. He suspected Raphael loved Michael for a while now. Michael wasn't an easy person to love to though. The road to love with Michael was full of upside down rollercoaster rides. It was all worth it though. It was all worth it now that there was no one standing between them.

“I'll do anything it takes.”

“Where's Cham?” Uri asked.

“He went to the bathroom. Honestly I think he just needed some time to think. You know. The girl, Ana has been watching us. Don't look now.”

Uri didn't have to turn around to look. He could see Ana's eyes on him from the back of the cathedral. It was a bunch of shady business and Uri definitely didn't trust any of it.

Uri looked over at Raphael, “No doubt he sent Jophiel has her spying on us.”

“Do you really think he's an angel...like he says he is?” Raphael asked.

Uri shrugged, “He's definitely an angel.”

“Maybe he's a fallen angel. You know? One of those angels cast out of heaven. You know? He's been sent to fool us or something,” Raphael explained.

Uri shook his head, “I don't think that's the case. He was sent by the church. I know that much. Still. I just don't trust him as far as I could throw him. I think it's better that we get out of here. We're better off ditching him all together.”

Uri finally turned to look at the back of the church. Ana was still watching. She was struggling. She was a young girl and clearly was exhausted but her eyes were still open, watching and waiting. Uri had no doubt that she must have been instructed before hand not to let them out of her site. Why would Jophiel be so worried about them leaving? Why would Jophiel assume they would want to leave?

In the next moment Cham walked back into the main hall. He took a seat in the same aisle as Michael was.

“They are still out there,” Cham stated, “It seems like the crowd is getting a little smaller though. Is that girl still watching us?”

Uri nodded, “Don't look back though. I was just about to tell Raphael I think we should make a run for it.”

“You're the boss,” Cham replied.

Uri laughed a little, “Quit. This is serious, Cham.”

Cham shrugged, “I am serious. C`mon. We've known each other long enough now. You're the strongest. You're the one who makes all the right decisions.”

Raphael even nodded in agreement with what Cham was saying. Uri never thought of it though. He never thought the other boys looked up to him the way they did. Right now though they seemed to be looking to him for answers and ideas. Uri looked down at Michael. All of them were depending on him including Michael. He would definitely make the right choice when he had to.

“Actually I'm not,” Uri smiled, “This one here asleep is the boss. Michael. Yes. The archangel Michael. He just doesn't know it yet and until then I have no problem helping out.”

Cham nodded, “Well as long as someone makes a call soon because that go Jophiel gives me the fucking creeps.”

“Can you read his aura? Anything like that?”

“He definitely has an angelic ability,” Cham explained, “I felt when he used it before. It was almost like a confusion that he can create. Remember how Rag could create illusions? My third eye felt a power similar to that with him. I don't know how to describe it. He's a trickster though. I don't understand why the church would send someone like him.”

“I don't want to say I told you so but...”

Cham shrugged, “Hey. You win some, you lose some. I don't trust him at all, Boss.”

Cham laughed at himself at that moment.

“Stop calling me that,” Uri shook his head, “But at least we know he's definitely an angel. But clearly we know by now angels aren't what we thought they were...”

“The church sends a tricky angel and they go into hiding?” Raphael asked, “Something's off.”

“We have to fight a clone of Michael, an army of demons and now this fuckin' strange ass guy that is making my man think he loved him at some point in his life,” Uri shook his head, “At this point I'm thinking it's us against the world.”

“Hey c`mon,” Raphael stated, “No cursing. We're in church...”

Uri looked over at him, “Listen. If God is looking down at us, he'd be cursing too.”

“I do agree with one thing he said, Boss,” Cham stated looking at Uri, “We had better odds with Gabby. Hate it or love it...”

Uri shook his head at the thought. He would have been happy never to see Gabby again. He had enough bullshit going on when she was around. Now that she was gone things seemed clear and despite all the stuff going on it seemed actually peaceful.

“Stop calling me that,” Uri replied.

“He's right,” a voice stated from the Uri's lap.

“Sorry were we loud?” Uri asked Michael who woke up shaking.

“No. I had a vision in my third eye while I was asleep. I know where Gabby is,” Michael explained, “And I know how to get to her.”

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Hours had passed. We had waited for them to leave but it was clear that the crowd wasn't getting any smaller.

“It should be daytime by now,” Uri told me.

I watched as he walked up to me from behind. He held me from the back for a moment. His touch was something that warmed my heart really. I turned and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. It was gentle. It distracted from the fact that it was 9am and it was still dark outside.

“I guess the end has really begun,” I replied.

“Don't say that. There still has to be a way to stop whatever's coming,” Uri explained to me, “There is still time. There is still hope. You believe me right. I won't let anything happen to you or the world that gave you to me.”

I gave him another kiss. This time my kiss was deeper. It's crazy how when you feel like the world is ending things just all seemed like it was going to end. My tongue went down Uri's throat. Our tongues massaged one another. I felt Uri hold me close, grasping at the back of my ass to keep me there. It was weird really. Here we were, gay angels, kissing in a church of all places.

I could feel his hand slowly moving down my ass.

“Stop...you don't want to get me started.”

“I can't help it...I need you...”

“I need you too.”

There was this yearning between us as Uri pressed up against me. I could feel his hard dick pressed between my thighs. Uri's words had drowned me in emotion and now there was this physical need that I had. We had been so into this whole end of the world bullshit that we hadn't had a time to really spend with each other together.

Footsteps disturbed us and we turned to see that it was Raphael.

“The demons aren't outside anymore,” Raphael stated, “I'm...sorry to interrupt. Cham started the car...”

Uri still was holding my hand. I knew this couldn't be easy for Raphael to see Uri and I openly affectionate towards one another. Still he was handling it a lot better than Gabby would have if she were in the same position.

“It's ok,” I replied.

Uri didn't lose hold of my hand, “What about Ana?”

“I knocked her out with my touch,” Raphael replied, “We need to leave now before Jophiel wakes back up.”

It was clear Jophiel didn't want to leave and it was clear that we all agreed that maybe this was a sign for us to get the fuck out of town.

As we walked outside it was darkness. Cham was driving the car and Raphael took it upon himself to sit in the passenger seat. He must have known that I wanted to sit with Uri. We sped off away from the church at that moment.

“Where we headed?” Cham asked me.

“Back to DC. She's at the W downtown.”

I had seen Gabby in a vision. It felt odd telling Cham that I had seen a vision that he hadn't even seen but I knew that it wasn't just a dream. It was vision. I knew where Gabby was. What I hadn't told them was that Gabby wasn't alone...

I pushed the thoughts into the back of my head and peered out of the window.

Darkness.

“It's ok,” Uri replied, “We'll find Gabby. We'll figure out how to stop the Anti-Christ. Everything will be back to normal...”

I knew even though he was trying to sound positive and tough he was scared. He was scared as hell. I could hear it in his tone. For once in his life even Cham seem scared. The darkness in the middle of the morning seemed so odd. It was almost as though the sun was blocked out completely by clouds. It was pitch black outside as we sped through the streets.

For the longest time no one said anything. I laid my head on Uri's broad shoulders. He played with my thumbs. Cham drove and Raphael kept nervously looking out of the window.

It wasn't until Cham turned on the radio that the silence was broken.

“Strange events are happening all over the world right now. There are reports that there is darkness everywhere. Clouds have blocked out the sun. People are taking to the streets to pray out of fear of something coming. The president has sent out a message letting everyone know not to panic. This doesn't seem to be working however as people have taken to the streets looting local stores and businesses. Many have turned to religion in the last 24 hours as the sun has refused to shine on the world. Others have turned to who many are beginning to say is the second coming. And his name is Michael Vorhees...”

“Turn that off,” I told Cham.

“We should hear them out,” Raphael replied, “We need to know what's happening...”

“He said to turn it off,” Uri replied.

I was glad that Uri had my back in this one. There was no point in listening to what was going on in the world. We knew what was going on.

As we got to downtown DC it was clear that we didn't need the radio. I could feel my heart racing as we drove down to the streets. The only thing that I could see was a church downtown. It was a popular Catholic church and I could see flames. Flames shot up from the church. People were standing outside gathered crying over it. Someone had burned the church down. A fire truck almost ran Cham off the road trying to get to it.

Cham managed to swerve away however.

“The lord is my shepherd...” Raphael began to pray.

I didn't stop him. For some reason there was comfort when Raphael started to pray. I felt like I almost needed it. As we drove through the streets of downtown there was so much chaos. It was hard to really pay attention to one thing. There was a woman running through the street naked. There was a men arguing and fighting everywhere. It seemed like every block there was a vehicle that got into an accident or something.

We fought through heavy traffic going downtown. It was clear things were unfolding quickly. The world was unfolding quickly and the Anti-Christ had just shown himself the night before.

“They'll go to him,” Uri replied, “The fake Michael. They'll look for answers and he'll give it to them. He'll turn them away from God. That is the plan. That is the Satan's plan all along.”

Uri was talking to me. I could barely hear him over all the sirens going on outside. I looked out the window and saw flames. Buildings were burning. People were looting. Chaos ruled the streets. The sky had been blackened out.

Suddenly the car stopped.

“Why are you stopping?” I asked Cham, “We're almost at the W. Just a few blocks away...”

“Guys...guys look,” Cham stated.

There were sirens in the back of the car. Cops. The cops had spotted us and were pulling us over. It wasn't just one car. It was multiple ones. The other cars on the road had sped off the road to avoid the cops and I knew the cops were targeting us. I fuckin' knew it.

“Don't stop,” Uri warned Cham.

“What do you want me to do? A highspeed fuckin' chase...”

Cham pulled over. I could feel Uri grab onto my hand. His fingers held onto mine at that moment. He was trying to calm me down. Cham looked over at him.

“I think I forgot my license at the church...” Cham stated.

“Cham I don't think he's fuckin' worried about your license. Cham get the fuck out of here...” Uri told him.

“Why are you tripping...” Cham asked, “They may not be possessed. No one used their powers. Didn't Jophiel say that we needed to use our powers.”

“Actually...I was using mine,” I replied, “My third eye...to find Gabby.”

“Still...it may not be anything right? Right guys?”

Cham was nervous. He was sweating at that moment. The sweat was dripping from his forehead. It was clear that he was extremely nervous. He just seemed like he was out of it at that moment. He seemed like he wasn't focused on anything. He was stuttering.

“Look around you Cham,” I told him.

At that moment it had to become clear to him. This wasn't just regular cops. The cops had surrounded us from the back and the front. The cops had surrounded us from the sides. I could see all the cop cars surround us. I looked over at Cham. He was breathing heavy.

The cops weren't the only ones who had gotten out of their cars. There were other people. They had a mark on their heads.

“What the fuck...” Uri told me.

Uri's grip tightened on my hand. I could hear him breathing harder and harder. He wasn't the only one. My heart was racing. These people walking up to the car didn't seem to have any soul. There was no where for us to turn. There was no where for us to go.

We were surrounded.

“What do we do?” Cham was screaming out, “Holy shit, what the fuck do we do...”

“Calm down. Everyone calm down. You shouldn't have fuckin' stopped,” Uri replied.

It was too late for Cham to pull off now. We were barricaded downtown. Not everyone had a sign on their head in the streets but the people who were paying attention to us had it. I looked out of my window. I could see the cops standing there. Three numbers were lit up on their foreheads at that moment and I knew these three numbers.

“There are those who have already accepted the mark of the beast...” Raphael stated to no one in particular.

I saw the numbers, “666.”

Raphael had begun to pray again almost as soon as I said the numbers crossing himself religiously, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”

Cham didn't seem to be comforted by the prayers. He was looking around the car. I could see him put the car into drive. He looked confused on what was going on.

“What do we do? What the fuck do we do?” Cham was panicking.

My heart was racing. The dark eyes walked towards us.

“Stay calm. We may need to fight our way out of here...” Uri stated.

Uri was trying to tell us to stay calm but I could hear in his voice he didn't have a plan. His hands were holding tight to me but his palm was sweating.

Uri was afraid and if Uri of all people were afraid then I knew we were in trouble...

There was so much confusion. I could see the people walking towards our car. I could see them coming towards us and there was no where for us to turn.

“Yeah

“They have guns!” Cham was panicking, “They have fucking guns! Why the fuck are they pulling them out! Uri...URI THEY ARE PULLING OUT THEIR GUNS!”

“Pull off!”

Uri screamed from the back. The men outside were pulling guns out. The police men were aiming at the car. They were aiming at us! I knew something was going to happen. I knew it! I just didn't know what at this point.

It felt almost as though time had stopped. That's how slow everything went at in the next few minutes. I could see Cham's bat his eyelashes a few times. I saw him grab onto the streering wheel. I could feel Uri gripping my hand. I held onto him with both my hands.

Cham needed to pull off! Cham needed to pull off now!

Cham looked over at Raphael and I watched as Raphael grabbed his hands, “Pray for me, ok?”

Raphael nodded, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Gun shots rang all of a sudden out of no where. Cham pulled off. Cham pulled the car off and ended up trying to ram through some cars or something like that. I assumed he lost control of the wheel because in the next minute or two we were slammed into another car.

I felt my body jerk forward!

My heart raced and my head hit the back of Raphael's chair. The impact sent blood draining from my forehead and the car had stopped a screeching halt.

We had rammed through the the barricade somehow. I looked outside the window. We were further than I thought. The police cars were about a block away from us.

I looked over at Uri.

“Are you ok?” I asked him.

“Yeah. I'm fine. You're bleeding though bae...” he stated.

I watched him put my hand on my forehead at that moment.

“I'm good...”

The way Uri looked over at me. The concern that when he looked in my eyes was real. I knew that boy loved me and this love at this point in time was something real. Even with all this scary shit going on I knew that this was someone who cared deeply about me and when you cared deeply about someone you focused on them almost immediately. I didn't doubt he would be taking this time to make sure my forehead wasn't bleeding too badly. It was a comfort to know this feeling in a time like this.

And Raphael's prayers had helped too. Raphael's prayers had comforted me.

Uri looked over at the front seat, “We need to keep going.”

Raphael leaned over to Cham, “You did it! Cham you...Cham?”

No reply.

Cham couldn't reply. He had a bullet in his head.

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